iPolitics AM: Indigenous rights take the spotlight in the Commons, at committee and across the Hill

Trudeau to speak on recognition of indigenous rights - Boushie family speaks following meetings with ministers - MPs hold 'take-note' debate on indigenous experience in the Canadian justice system

The complex — and, too often, contentious — relationship between Canada’s indigenous peoples and the Canadian justice system, as well as the federal government itself, are expected to dominate both the parliamentary and political agendas in the capital today.

Later this afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will rise in the House of Commons to speak on the “recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights,” the pursuit of which has been a cornerstone policy of his government since taking office in 2015.

His speech will come just a few hours before the House is scheduled to hold a special prime-time “take-note debate” on the experience of indigenous people within the Canadian justice system, which will give MPs the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns on the topic.

Also on the agenda today: New Democrat MP Georgina Jolibois’ bid to declare National Indigenous Peoples Day a federal holiday, which, by a twist of Commons scheduling, will make its second-reading debut this evening, and Sen. Murray Sinclair — a former federal judge who also headed up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission — will briefly shift his role from parliamentarian to expert witness as he appears before his colleagues on the Senate aboriginal affairs committee.

The relatives of Colten Boushie are expected to deliver a formal statement to media later this morning following a series of closed-door meetings with ministers in the wake of the jury acquittal of Gerald Stanley on second-degree murder charges stemming from the 2016 shooting that resulted in Boushie’s death.

Joining the family at the press event will be Sen. Kim Pate, who spent years calling for legal reforms during her pre-parliamentary career as a human rights advocate.

Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen drops by a Mississauga dessert café to reveal the latest developments in the spousal sponsorship program — which he’ll deliver just one day before a scheduled appearance before the House immigration committee to discuss Canada’s overall immigration targets for 2018.

Finally, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will spend Valentine’s Day in Washington, DC, where she will, as per the advisory, “meet with key representatives from the U.S. administration and the Senate,” and “emphasize the importance of NAFTA and Canada-United States trade as an engine of growth and prosperity for the people of both countries.”